KNOM Radio Mission

KNOM's mission is to be a conduit for encountering Christ, empowering growth, and engaging listeners. The work is steeped in mission values: to be a friend and companion who provides respectful service based on Catholic ideals. KNOM's 20,000 listeners live across 100,000 square miles of remote Alaska. Most live in villages from the Bering Sea Coast and eastward toward the Alaskan interior. Radio is a source of faith, news and information. AM/FM Radio's "analog" signal, remains integral to the region's communications, as digital (i.e. web-based) means are often less reliable, especially during an emergency. For those with access, www.knom.org hosts many programs, productions, news, features and more. This site is free from advertising and sponsorships, thanks to the generosity of thousands of private benefactors.

KNOM's year-end fundraising campaign sought to fund two projects: a recording studio at the mission's Anchorage business office and much-needed equipment upgrades to the Nome digital broadcast studios. The campaign was wildly popular. The Anchorage Studio was completed at the end of the fiscal year, with funding set for fiscal year 2023 for Nome Studio upgrades. Both projects benefitted tremendously from the donated labor of a systems architect (saving more than $10,000 in consulting with discounted hardware), who created a virtual private network that connects both sites and provides extra security for the broadcast system and station communications.

Part of KNOM's full time staff has been volunteer-fellows, who gave a year of service to the mission. The net savings (after stipends insurance & other benefits) of the mission's two full time volunteer fellows is $69,627. However, the pandemic and a shrinking workforce continue to constrict KNOM's ability to attract and retain both paid and volunteer staff. Thus, the board of directors decided to pause a six-decade tradition of full-time volunteer staffing.